Hair clippers for trimming hair to different lengths



F. J. VlTALE March 25, 19585 HAIR CLIPPERS FOR TRIMMING HAIR TO DIFFERENT LENGTHS Filed July 14. 1955 INVENTOR. I

United States Patent HAIR 'CLIPPERS FOR TRINIMING HAIR TO DIFFERENT LENGTHS Frank J. Vitale, .Van N uys, .Calif.

Application July14, 1955, Serial No..521,994

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-210) The present invention relates to .the..field of cutting devices, and more particularly to a clippers that is so positionable as to enable, the barber to trim hairat longer lengths than hasbeen possible heretofore by means of the presently available devices of this type.

Although clippers in a variety of styles and designs have been developed and marketed in the past, all of these devices have a common disadvantage in that they can only be used to trim hair within ,a relatively narrow range of lengths. When it is desired to trim hair to lengths longer than the cutting limits of the-se'prior devices, the barbermust-necessarily resort to the .use of scissors, which is not only a time-consuming operation, but requires a high degree of professional barbering skill. In contrast to the use of scissors in hair trimming, clippers can be used successfully for this purpose by a person of vrelativelylimited skill,.inasmuch as a portion of the clippers are in sliding contact with the hair-covered. surface, and the cutting portion of the clippers canbe maintained at a uniform distance therefrom.

The primary purpose in devising the present invention is to-provide clippers that can be used to trim hair in :the conventional close cropped manner provided by prior devices but will trim hair up to a first maximum length when they are held in a first position, and when disposed in a second position will :trim the hair at a second maximum length.

A major object of the present invention is to provide clippers by means of which persons having a minimum of barbering skill may not only trim hair evenly in the short, conventional manner, but in longer lengths than is possible to achieve with previously available devices of this nature without the-aid of scissors.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a clippers which may beeithermanually -or power-operated.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a clippers which can be fabricated from standard commercially available materials, are attractively compact in appearance, and can be retailed at a sufliciently low price as to encourage their widespread use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof, and from the drawing illustrating that form in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clippers shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the invention taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the hair cutting portion of the invention taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the actuating portion of the invention taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6a is an end elevational view of the clippers shown in a first position;

ice

ment of theinvention, it will be seen to include a substantially rectangular hollow handle A in which an electromagnet or suitable motor B is disposed, which when actuated byalternating electric current causes an:elongate transversely toothed element C to reciprocate to cut hair with which it comes into contact. Element C, as can best be seen inFigureZ, is in. slidable contact with a first transversely toothed guide D. When the invention is brought intosliding contact with a hair-covered surface F in the manner illustrated in Figure 6a, the hair can be trimmed thereby to alength G, depending on the position to which the guide D is moved relative to the surface. Should it be desired to trim the hair at'a longer length than possiblewhen the. invention is disposed as shown in Figure 6a, a second guide'E may be brought into sliding contact with the hair-covered surface whereby the hair may then be cut to a length H.

In detail, the handle A is formed from two rigid rectangular blocks 10 and 12. A centrally disposed recess710a leads inwardly from one side 1012 of block 10, and a second, narrower and deeper recess 10c extending outwardly from recess 10a leads to side 10d of the block. Block 12 also has a recess12a that extends inwardly from one side 12b thereof and a narrower extension 120 of recess 12a leads outwardly to side 12d of the block. Recess is of :such shape as to permit guide E to snugly fit therein. Recess extension 12c is likewise adapted to snugly receive the rearward portion of guide D. Guides D andE are provided with several tapped bores 14 and 16 respectively on the rearward portions thereof, which bores are, engaged by screws 18 and 20 that extend through bores formed in blocks 10 and 12. In

Figure .2 it will be seen that guide Ehas a boss 22. formed .Dand E.

A bore 24 extends transversely through boss 22and is .in alignment with a tapped bore 26 formed in the outer portionv of guide D. A screw 28 extends through bore 24 to engage bore 26 and hold guides ,D andE together as an integral unit. Blocks 10 and 12 are likewise re- .movably held together as an integral unitto form handle .H, as screws 18 and,.20 engage .both blocks and guides D and E.

Guide D is formed with a transverse convexexterior surface 29. A plurality of teeth30 are provided on the longitudinally extending sides of guide D, and the spaces 30a between teeth 30 are connected by grooves 32 formed in surface 29. Guide E likewise has a transverse convex exterior surface 34 and has a number of teeth 36 extending along the longitudinal sides thereof. Teeth 36 are separated by spaces 36a that are connected by grooves 38 formed in surfaces 54.

The elongate cutting element C is formed with a fiat interior surface 38 that is in sliding contact with a fiat inner surface 49 of guide D. Cutting element C has a transverse concave exterior surface 42 and also has a number of teeth 44 formed along the longitudinal edges thereof. Spaces 44a separate teeth 44, which spaces are connected by grooves .6 formed in surface 42.

Two longitudinally spaced cavities 50 are formed on the interior surface of guide E that are in alignment with two cavities 52 formed in cutting element C. Two compressed helical springs 54 have their end portions disposed in cavities 50 and 52 and at all times maintain cutting element C in sliding contact with guide D. Longitudinal I element -Cis slidably disposed.

alignment of cutting element C with guide D is preferably achieved by forming a recess 51 that extends substantially' the length of the guide in which an elongate rib 53 on The electro-magnet or motoLB: of a 7 described is fully capable actuation imparts a reciprocating motionjo; the cutting element' C as is conventional in devices of thisnature.

Motor B receives alternating electric current by means of two insulated electrical conductors 6.0 and 62 as shown in Figure 7. The, two conductors are connected toya domestic source of alternating current by a connector .(not shown) and tea normally open electric switch 64 embedded in handle H. Switch 64 is provided "with two insulated electrical conductors 6.6 and 68 extending to motor B. A pin 70 extends outwardly from switch64 screws30 and 82 project through the end portions of the spring into handle H. The screws hold spring 78 outwardly from the surface 74a of the recess 74, with the interior surface of the spring being just in contact with the outer end of pin 70. When pressure is manually applied to the exterior spring surface 78a the spring is caused to bow inwardly, which inward spring movement is sufiicient to cause pin 70 to move to a position where switch 64 is closed and electrical energy is supplied to motor B.

The use and operation of the invention is extremely simple. By applying pressure to the bow spring 78, the motor B is actuated, and the cutting element C caused to reciprocate relative to both the guides D and B. When it is desired to clip the hair closely, the invention is positioned as shown in Figure 6a, with the convex surface 29 then being in sliding contact with the hair-covered surface F. Rotational movement of the invention about its longitudinal axis permits the distance G to be varied from that of a close clip to the maximum length possible when the invention is in this position.

When it is desired to clip the hair at a length longer than that possible when the invention is held in the position shown in Figure 6a, the clippers are disposed as shown in Figure 6b. In this latter position, the convex face 34 of guide E is in slidable contact with the haircovered surface F, and by rotational adjustment of the clippers, hair can be trimmed to a length H that is desired. Thus, by simply reversing the position of the device when in use, and without any mechanical adjustment thereto, the invention can be utilized to clip hair within a first range wherein the hair is cropped relatively short, and within a second range in which the hair is trimmedconsiderably longer.

of achieving the objects and providing. the advantageshereinbefore mentioned, it" is to he understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and is not to be limited to the details of construction as shown and described other than as defined in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is z '1. A hair clippers capable of being used to clip hair to jjlengths within a first range and alternately trim hair in longer lengths within'a secondrange by'reversing the position of said clippers, including: a first elongated guide having teeth on the longitudinal sides thereof; an elongate clipping member formed with teeth on the 1ongitudinal sides thereof; a second elongate guide having teeth formed on the'longitudinal sides thereof; means that maintain said first and second guides in parallel, laterally spaced relationship with one another; a handle from which said first and second guides project; means operatively associated with said handle, which means when actuated reciprocates said clipping member relative to.

said first and second guides; and means that maintain said clipping member' in contact with said first guide and spaced from said second guide, with said first guide when disposed on a surface from which hair grows, permitting said hair to be clipped to a length within said first range, and said second guide when disposed'on a hair-covered surface allowing said hair to be clipped to a desired longer length within a second range. v a s 2. A hair clippers as defined in claim 1 in which said first guide is formed with a fiat interior face that is slidably contacted by said clipping member, and an exterior surface of convex in transverse cross section having a plurality of grooves formed therein that extend between oppositely disposed tooth spacings, 'which grooves 'serve to guide hair into said tooth spacings on said first guide to be severed by said clipping member teeth at a length within said first range when said first guide is in slidable contact with a hair-covered surface. 3. A hair clippers as defined in claim 2 in which said first guide and clipping member. are provided with slidable interlocking means that maintain them in longitudinal alignment one with the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,902,988 Bott Mar. 28, 1933 2,168,823 'Hoy Aug. 8, 1939 2,275,180 Holsclaw Mar. 3, 1942 2,350,805 -Olving June 6, 1944 2,572,777 Steinbach Oct. 23, 1951 2,600,658 Knopp June 17, 1952 2,717,443 Turbett Sept. 13, 1955 7 FOREIGN PATENTS 591,735'

. France Apr. 16, 1925 

